MaryThompson

Where to start?  In many ways, my story is typical.  Although I was never overweight as a child or teenager, my mother's issues with weight and food rubbed off on me, plus I got her genes that make me prone to weight gain.  I had my 3 children between the ages of 19-23 and was never able to get off the substantial 'baby weight' I put on.  The weight kept coming as I did a lot of overeating, and despite periods of exercise.  I was so addicted to food and sugar, I could never make it past the third day of any diet I tried.I got up to around 300 lbs in the Fall of 1994.  I don't know for sure because I'd stopped weighing myself, in part to try to overcome my obsession with my weight and a lot of other emotional issues.  I went on the Sugarbusters diet and started walking my dog everyday.  I lost about 50 lbs and my weight hung between 240-260 for several years.In 2003, my sister-in-law lost her excess weight using Weightwatchers.  Inspired by her success, my husband and I began the program.  It was really hard at first, but I'd made significant progress on my overeating and emotional issues which enabled me to stick with it.  I made the program work.  I got down to about 215, which was the least I'd weighed in well over a decade.  I made the mistake of thinking I couldn't regain the weight.  Over summer vacation, I started eating 'normally' again - not overeating quite as much as before - but still too many calories and not enough rigorous exercise.  I quickly regained the weight and was 260 again a few months, and feeling defeated.  I tried to start over on WW many times after that, but never could stay motivated.In 2008, I gained 50 more lbs in less than 6 months.  In Jan 2009, the doctor discovered I had low thyroid function and put me on Synthroid.  I tried walking for exercise again in May, but at 295 lbs I developed tendinitis in my foot and had to stay off it for for a month.  Now the scale is up to 309.I've had my first appointment with a gastroenterologist and I'm scheduled for the endoscopy next week.